Fifth-wheel



(No Model.)

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FRANCIS HILDRETH, 0F CLERMONT, NEV JERSEY.

FIFTH-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 430,648, dated June 24,1890.

Application filed March 1S, 1890. Serial No. 344,407. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS HILDRETH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clermont, in the county of Cape May and State of New Jersey,have invented a new and useful Fifth-Wheel, of which the followin is aspeciiication.

This invention has relation to improvements in fifth-wheels of thatclass employing anti-friction balls or rollers, and among the objects inview are to so dispose the balls or rollers as to overcome, so far aspossible, all friction or wear oi' the parts, and to provide for anadjustment of the same by which the wear as occurring may be compensatedfor, thus continually presenting a uniform surface, and preventing anyrattling of the parts or unevenness in movement.

NV ith the above objects in view the invention consists in certainfeatures of construction, hereinafter specified, and particularlypointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is an elevation of a head-block andaxle and an intermediate connecting fifth-wheel constructed inaccordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section ofthe same. Fig. 3 is a top plan of the lower fifth-wheel disk or section.Fig. 4 is a perspective of the antifriction ball-holding ring or spider.Fig. 5 is a perspective of the bearing-plate and thimble for receivingthe king-bolt.

Like numerals of reference indicate like parts in all the figures of thedrawings.

1 represents the head-block of avehicle, and through the same there isinserted the vertical king-bolt 2, which depends below the head-block inthe usual manner.

Rigid with the head-block is the upper disk 3 of the fifth-wheel, whichdisk is provided with a central opening for the passage oi theking-bolt, and is rigidly connected to thc head-block in the usualmanner. The perimeter of the disk is provided with a dependingsurrounding flange il, and the central opening` 5 of said disk isprovided with a depending hollow post orstud G, through which is passedthe king-bolt and below which the king-bolt extends, said hollow studbeing about double the width of the iiange 4.

The lower disk or section of the iittl1-w'lieel (designated as 7) isprovided within its periphery with an annular -flange 8, extendingupwardly iheref rom and adapted to fit within the flange 4 of the upperdisk.` The lower disk is also provided with a central opening 9 for thepassage ot' the depending hollow Stud (l, and is encircled upon itsupper side with a collar l0 and upon its under side with a collar ll.,said collars being largerthan the opening which they surround, andforming a circular track for the reception of a series of anti-frictionballs, the upper ones oit which are designated as 13.

14 represents a.s11)i(le1fra1ne or ball-support, which comprises in thisinstance a series of concentrically-arranged rings l5, connected byradial spokes lo, the inner ring of the series being somewhat largerthan the collar 9, and combining with the same to form an intermediatespace 17, provided with a concentric series of blocks 1S, 'formingintermediate pockets 19 for the reception ot a series of anti-frictionballs 20. The two outer rings or rims are divided bythe spokes into aconcentric series of pockets 22, in each ot' which there-is mounted anantitriction roller The series of concentric rollers described all bearupon the under surface oi' the upper disk 3, and, as will readily beapparent, tend to facilitate movement ot the two disks against eachother and reduce to a minimum the friction caused by such movement.

The collar upon the under side ot the disk 7, and through which dependsthe stud (5 of the upper disk, forms a track for a series ofanti-friction balls 24, fitted over which is a bearing-washer 25 of adiameter adapting the same to fit snugly within the collar l0. 'lhelower end of the stud U is threaded, as at 26, and upon the saine, andbearing upon the un der side ot' the collar 25, and therefore serving toadjust the tension of the collar 25 upon the balls, is a setsnut 28.

29 represents the axle, which at its center is provided with a recess30, in which depends the lower collar, anti-friction balls, .and setnut.The axle is provided with an opening 3l at the center of its recess, andsurrounding the opening and depending therefrom is a collar 232, throughwhich there depends the lower end et' the king-bolt. Surrounding theking-bolt, and mounted within, the collar is a series of anti-frictionrollers 33, and forming a lower bearing for said rollers, thus closingthe collar, is a bearing-disk 3st, said disk hav- ICO ing a centralperforation, through which passes the lower end of the king-bolt, and isbound in position by a terminal nut 35, threaded upon said king-bolt.

From the above construction it will be apparent that every point atwhich friction can possibly take place in the movements of the vehicleis carefully guarded by antifriction rollers, which rollers may beeasily adjusted, and they and their tracks are carcfully guarded againstdust and grit.

The spider'can be dispensed with by substituting a channel or circulartrack for the balls to travel in.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. The combination,with the head-block of a vehicle, the upper section or disk of thefifth-wheel having a depending flange, an opening formed centrally inthe disk and in the head-block, a hollow boss depending from the disk,and a king-bolt depending through the head-block and the stud, of alower disk provided with a surrounding flange adapted to be received bythe flange of the upper disk, a spider mounted between the disks andsecured to the lower disk and havingaseries of annularly-arrangedpockets, one of which surrounds the stud and another of which is nearthe outer edge of the disks, a series of anti-friction rollers mountedin the pockets, an axle secured to the under surface of the lower disk,and a binding-nntfor binding the head-block and axle together, andmounted upon the king-bolt, substantially as specified.

2. The combination, with the head-block of a vehicle, the upper sectionof a fth-wheel, and a depending king-bolt passing' therethrough, ofthelower section of the fifth-wheel, antifriction balls mounted between thesections, a collar concentric with the opening of the lower section anddepending from the under surface thereof, the king-bolt passing throughthe opening, a series of anti-friction balls mounted in the collar andsurrounding the fifth-Wheel, a bearing-disk mounted within the collar,means for adjusting the same, and an axle having an opening for thepassage of the king-bolt, and a nut mounted on the bolt, substantiallyas specified.

3. The combination, with the bolster of a vehicle, the upper section ofa fifth-wheel rigidly connected therewith, centrally perfo` rated andprovided with a hollow boss threaded at its lower end, and aking-boltdepending through the boss and section, of a lower section having acentral opening for the passage of a boss, anti-friction devicesinterposed between the two sections, an annular collar depending fromthe under side of the lower section and surrounding the boss, a seriesof anti-friction balls mounted within the collar, a bearing-disk bearingagainst the balls encircling the stud or boss and received by thecollar, a set-nut threaded on the lower end of the boss and bearingagainst the disk, an axle having an opening for the reception of aking-bolt, and a nut mounted upon the lower end of the same,substantially as specified.

4. The combination, wit-l1 the head-block, a fixed upper disk orfth-wheel section, and a king-bolt passing through the head-block, thecenter of the section, and depending below the same, of an axle having acentral opening, a depending' collar encircling the opening, a lowerfifth-wheel. section secured to the axle, through which and the collarpasses a king-bolt, a thimble encircling the bolt and having at itslower end a bearingdisk, a series of anti-friction balls supported bythe disk, and a set-nut mounted on the lower end of' the kin g-bolt andbearingagainst the disk, substantially as specified.

5. The combina-tion; with the head-block, the upper disk having theperipheral flange and the central opening, and the depending king-boltpassing` through the disk and headblock and through a hollow stud orboss depending from the center of the disk, of a lower fifth-wheelsection provided near its end with acirc ular flange adapted to litwithin the depending flange of the upper section, and having a centralopening through which pass a hollow stud and king-bolt, a spiderframemounted upon the lower disk and having an annular series of pockets,anti-friction balls mounted therein, and provided upon its under sidewith a depending circular collar surrounding the hollow stud, a seriesof balls mounted in the collar, a ring or washer for supporting theballs and received by the collar, a set-nut threaded on the lower end ofthe stud for the adjustment of the ring, an axle having a recess for thereception of the collar and nut, and an opening for the passage of thebolt, and upon its under side provided with a depending collar, a seriesof balls mounted in the collar and surrounding the bolt, a thimblemounted on the bolt and having at its lower end a circular disk orflange adapted to fit within the collar, and a binding-nut mounted onthe lower end of the bolt and serving to adjust the thimble,substantially as specified.

6. The combination, with the upper section or disk of the fifth-wheel,having a depending fiange, and a hollowboss dependingfrom the disk, of alower disk provided with a surrounding iiange adapted to be received bythe flange of the upper disk, and a series of annularlyarranged pockets,one of which surrounds the studand another of which is near the outeredge of the disks, and a series of anti-friction rollers mounted in thepockets, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

r FRANCIS HILDRETH. Vitnesses:

JOHN B. IIUFFMAN,

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